A Study on Three-Dimensional Expression in Body Painting through a Prism of Skeletal Muscle

Unlike other genres of fine arts, body painting is performed on the human body. For that reason, understanding of features of skeletal muscle in the human body should be required for an effective expression in body painting. Therefore, we aimed to grasp what is needed for systematic teaching of body painting and to help create lesson plans for body painting. In addition, an analysis was conducted of experimental observations made about body paint art design application based on an anatomical structure of a human body such as size, position, and function, etc so as to acquire a good understanding of skeleton muscles, on the base of which an exploration was carried out for body paint designs to obtain a rhythmical or/and three-dimensional visual effect. The findings of this study were as follows: First, the experimental observations showed that when a ratio of highlighted area to neck or arm muscle part in human frontal plane was 30%, a 3-5-7 phase of the brightness in the shading and highlighting made it look the most harmonious, a 2_5_8 phase of the brightness had the most three-dimensional effect, and a 2_5_7 phase made it look the most rhythmical. Second, when a ratio of highlighted area to body or leg muscle part in human frontal plane was 50%, a 2-5-7 phase of the brightness in the shading and highlighting made the best harmony, a 2_5_8 phase of the brightness had not only the most three-dimensional, but also the most rhythmical effect, according to the experimental observations. Third, the experimental observations disclosed that when a ratio of highlighted area to neck muscle part in human back plane was 30%, a 2-5-7 phase of the brightness in the shading and highlighting created the most harmonious impression, a 2_5_7 phase of the brightness had the most three-dimensional effect, and a 2_5_8 phase made it look most rhythmical. Finally, when a ratio of highlighted area to body, arm or leg muscle part in human back plane was 40%, a 3-5-7 phase of the brightness in the shading and highlighting made the best harmony, a 2_5_8 phase of the brightness gave the most three-dimensional impression, together with the most rhythmical effect, the experimental observations revealed.